1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic apparatus represented by a personal computer for example.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, personal computers (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “PC”) have been in widespread use not only in offices but also at homes. As one type of personal computers, there have been widely known notebook personal computers (hereinafter referred to as “notebook PC”) each composed of: a main unit having a keyboard on the top surface; and a display unit openable and closable with respect to the main unit and having a display screen. The display unit is opened to stand relative to the main unit when in use and is folded to lie on the keyboard when not in use.
Also, plate-like tablet personal computers (hereinafter referred to as “tablet PC”) having a display screen on the top surface have emerged in recent years. A user enters an instruction into this type of PC by bringing a stylus closer to a position on the display screen or touching the position with the stylus so as to make the tablet PC recognize the position.
Also, another type of electronic apparatus capable of operating both as a notebook PC and a tablet PC have come along recently. This type of apparatus has a main unit and a display unit which are connected via a two-axis connection section that supports the main unit and the display unit in such a manner that they can be opened/closed and rotated.
General electronic apparatus such as personal computers are desired to be smaller in size. Particularly, the above-mentioned notebook PCs, tablet PCs and the like are desired to be smaller and thinner because they need to be portable. Lately, as the notebook PCs have become more and more multifunctional, performance of notebook PCs has almost reached the high level comparable to that of desktop PCs. Therefore, it is desired to realize a smaller and thinner apparatus that also maintains high operability while keeping with the trend toward multifunction. Not only notebook PCs but also various types of devices, such as game machines, DVD recorders and players, hard-disk recorders are desired to be smaller and thinner for the purpose of saving space of an installation site.
The above types of electronic apparatus often need a component extending through an opening formed in a cabinet between the inside and outside of the cabinet. For example, as for a notebook PC where a display unit needs to be attached to a main unit via a hinge mechanism such that the display unit can be opened and closed, a component constituting such a hinge mechanism is often fixed inside the cabinet of either one of the main unit and the display unit and extends to the other one of these units through the outside of the cabinet so that it is fixed therein.
Amid the trend toward size reduction of apparatus, a number of components and units have to be packed in tight space inside the cabinet. This raises a problem of the affixing structure of such a component extending to the outside of the cabinet forming an apparatus.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-47754 proposes a component that extends between the inside and outside of a cabinet and has a portion entering the inside of the cabinet and having wings both spreading along an inner wall of the cabinet. This component is fixed from the outside of the cabinet by screws and the heads of the screws are exposed to the outside, which impairs the design. If the portion of the component entering the inside of the cabinet is screw-fixed inside the cabinet in order to avoid such exposure, it is necessary to form space for accommodating a fixing portion for fixing the component inside the cabinet. However, such space is difficult to form when there is no room near an opening through which the component extends between the inside and outside of the cabinet.
In view of the foregoing, the present invention provides an electronic apparatus whose structure for affixing a component extending between the inside and outside of the cabinet through an opening of the cabinet has been devised, and also provides an assembly to be employed in such an electronic apparatus.